Blackalicious
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| Blackalicious | |
|---|---|
| Origin |  Davis, California, United States |
| Genre(s) | Hip hop |
| Years active | 1992 – Present |
| Label(s) | Quannum Projects MCA Records SoleSides ANTI- |
| Associated acts | DJ Shadow, Lateef the Truthspeaker |
| Website | Official website |
| Members | |
| Gift of Gab Chief Xcel |
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Blackalicious is a California-based hip hop duo made up of rapper Gift of Gab (born Timothy Parker) and DJ/producer Chief Xcel (born Xavier Mosley). They are noted for their intelligent, artistic approach to hip hop music. The pair have released three full-length albums (1999's Nia, 2002's Blazing Arrow and 2005's The Craft) that have won them considerable critical acclaim and a sizable following.
Contents |
[edit] Biography
Gift of Gab (then known as Epic Fail) and Chief Xcel (then known as Paul Kim) first met through a mutual friend in 1987 while attending John F. Kennedy High School in Sacramento, California. The duo went separate ways after Parker graduated and moved to Los Angeles. However, they kept in touch by phone and were eventually reunited in 1992 in Davis. Chief Xcel, now a student at UC Davis, had started working with a crew named SoleSides, whose members included DJ Shadow, Lateef the Truthspeaker, and Lyrics Born. Parker and Mosley formally settled on the name Blackalicious ("good black music", according to Mosley[citation needed]) in 1992 and released their first vinyl single, "Swan Lake", on SoleSides Records (the SoleSides crew's own record label) in 1994. The song was an underground hit and Blackalicious subsequently released their debut EP, Melodica, in 1995, also on SoleSides Records.
In late 1997, SoleSides became Quannum Projects and in 1999 Blackalicious released their second EP, A2G, which served as a precursor to their debut full-length album, Nia (1999), released the following year. This was followed by a major label contract with MCA Records and the release of the critically acclaimed album Blazing Arrow (2002), which brought the duo greater commercial success, peaking at #49 on the Billboard 200.
A third full length, titled The Craft, was released on Epitaph Records imprint ANTI- on September 27, 2005.
In 2007, The Gift of Gab, Lateef the Truthspeaker, and Headnodic formed a group called The Mighty Underdogs, releasing an EP through the Gift of Gab's distribution company Giftstribution They are scheduled to release an LP entitled "Dropping Science Fiction" in early 2008.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
- Nia (Mo' Wax / Quannum Projects, 2000)
- Blazing Arrow (MCA Records / Quannum Projects, 2002)
- The Craft (ANTI Records / Quannum Projects, 2005)
[edit] EPs
[edit] Singles
- "Swan Lake" / "Lyric Fathom" 12" (Solesides, 1994)
- "Deception" 12" (Quannum Projects, 1999)
- "If I May" / "Reanimation" 12" (Mo' Wax / Quannum Projects, 2002)
- "Paragraph President" / "Passion" 12" (MCA Records / Quannum Projects, 2001)
- "Make You Feel That Way" / "Sky Is Falling" 12" (MCA Records / Quannum Projects, 2002)
- "Your Move" / "My Pen And Pad" 12" (ANTI- / Quannum Projects, 2005)
- "Powers" (ANTI- / Quannum Projects, 2006)
[edit] DVDs
- 4/20: Live In Seattle (2006)
[edit] External links
- Audio Interview on The Sound of Young America: MP3 link
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